“We have received the complaint and believe it has no merit,” Major League Baseball told the Tampa Bay Times, which first reported the grievance.

When both sides signed a new collective bargaining agreement in 2016, one of the revenue-sharing provisions was that "each club shall use its revenue-sharing receipts … in an effort to improve its performance on the field," The agreement doesn’t allow teams to use any revenue-sharing funds to service debt not related to on-field performance.

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Should the Union and MLB not settle the case, the grievance would be heard by baseball’s independent arbitrator Mark Irvings.

The A’s didn’t immediately comment on the grievance.

As part of the latest CBA in 2016, despite being in the country’s sixth-largest media market, the A’s were still recognized as a low-revenue team because of their need of a new stadium to help generate money. However, Oakland’s annual revenue-sharing payments are being incrementally decreased until the A’s are completely phased out of the program by 2021, as per the agreement.

Last season, the A’s payroll was the second-lowest in the major leagues at a reported $86 million, according to Spotrac.

As the A’s continue searching for new ballpark options in Oakland, they’ve opened new offices at Jack London Square and have made many strides to make the fan experience a more positive one. However, they’ve embraced a full rebuild with their team.

The A’s have slashed their payroll more than $30 million for this coming season as they’re projected to spend just $50.6 million on payroll for 2018.

Only the Philadelphia Phillies, at a projected $44.8 million, are expected to have a lower Major League payroll entering this coming season.

Both the Pirates and Rays responded Tuesday by saying the grievance against their teams is without merit.

Rays owner Stuart Sternberg told the Tampa Bay Times he was “genuinely surprised” by the grievance and that his team was operating “beyond what compliance is.”

Pirates President Frank Coonelly said the grievance was “patently baseless” and that the team spent revenue-sharing money consistent with the rules in baseball’s labor contract.

“Our revenue-sharing receipts have decreased for seven consecutive seasons while our major league payroll has more than doubled over this same period,” Coonelly said in a statement. “Our revenue-sharing receipts are now just a fraction of what we spend on major league payroll. We also have made significant investments in scouting, signing amateur players, our player development system and our baseball facilities.”